There are some decisions in life that are practically irreversible. It’s like getting into a raft and heading down white-water rapids. You can jump out, to your own peril. It may be a bumpy ride and some may get sick at their stomach but if you can hold on and stay in the boat, the excitement is worth the danger for many people. What you don’t do – what you can’t do – is jump out of the raft once you have started downstream!
Our relationship to God, through Jesus Christ, is similar to white-water rafting. You begin the journey and you don’t stop until you get to the end. Let us study the last dozen verses of Luke 9 and consider how Jesus defines discipleship for us.
In keeping with the theme of the text, remember the account of God saving Lot and his wife from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19… Lot’s wife ignored the angels’ command not to look back and God turned her into a pillar of salt. The point? Once you start down God’s path, there is no looking back.
AGGRESSIVE DISCIPLESHIP – 9:51-56:
Observe the commitment Jesus has to God’s plans for His life – “He was determined to go to Jerusalem” (vs 51). ESV: “he set his face”
On this occasion, James and John are overly-aggressive disciples (cf. 2 Kings 1:9-16). Now, it is true that Jesus came to set father against son and son against father but He did not want to send people into eternity too soon. Patience is required to be a faithful disciple of Christ. Allow God to work in the lives of others; don’t condemn them before it is time (of course, God is the one who does the condemning anyway).
God did not call us to “preach hell”. He calls us to preach forgiveness.
OPEN-ENDED DISCIPLESHIP – 9:57-58:
There are those who follow Jesus simply for the loaves and the fish. They are happy to be considered a Christian as long as being a Christian does not make many demands on their time, money, or energy level.
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FAMILIAL DISCIPLESHIP – 9:59-60:
Jesus ranks family responsibility as pretty high on the list of his expectations (Mark 7:9-13). But even so, family has its place relative to God.
Paul is a great example of someone who was willing to leave family and their religion behind because he knew the gospel led in a different direction. God comes before family.
CONTINGENT DISCIPLESHIP 9:61-62:
This disciple’s following hedged on what else he might have to do before deciding to serve Jesus. Other things might get in the way. He might have family that needs him. He might have business interests that require his attention. He might have land to see to and can’t come follow Jesus. The excuses can go on and on and are just about as numerous as there are people in the world.
Simply put, the call to follow Jesus is a one-way call forward and if we want to be as resolute as Jesus was, we need to “set our face” to go to heaven and allow nothing to distract us.
–Paul Holland
